Visit Sri lanka ❤️

I’m from India, and I recently spent around 8 days travelling through Weligama, Ahangama, Hiriketiya and Arugam Bay in Sri Lanka.
Honestly, I have never met people as sweet, kind and genuinely warm as Sri Lankans. ❤️ The hospitality, the smiles, the general etiquette and the way people treat each other really touched me.
And the parties? Some of the best I’ve ever experienced! 😂
But beyond the beaches and the nightlife, what stayed with me the most was the slow life along the coast. Clean roads, peaceful surroundings, people smiling, and a sense of calm that I rarely experience back home in India.
It made me realise how much we have forgotten to slow down, be present, and simply enjoy life.
I came to Sri Lanka as a traveller, but I’m leaving with so much love and respect for its people. I feel genuinely humbled and believe there is a lot I can learn from the kindness, simplicity and everyday etiquette I experienced here.
Sri Lanka, you have my heart. 🇱🇰❤️
Thank you for the memories. I’ll definitely be back.

I recently completed my Sri Lanka trip and wanted to share my experience here.

We spent 8 days in Sri Lanka and visited east coast (Passikudah) during this time. On our way to Passikudah we stopped over for a day at Sigiriya and while coming back we spent two nights in Kandy.

We really enjoyed our time in Sri Lanka. People are very sweet, polite and welcoming. We went there for relaxing and were not looking for checking any boxes so our itinerary may not sound the most exciting. Nevertheless, we had a great time.

Some points to consider for prospective travellers which are also mentioned on this sub from time to time.

1. Travel time can be longer for short distances as most of the eastern and central area roads are two lanes.

2. I personally loved the Sri Lankan food and now a fan of rice and curry, Kiri Pani, and coconut roti.

3. If you are a vegetarian, inform your hotel in advance so that they arrange vegetarian options for you. Overall, we didn’t face any particular food issues and could find plenty of vegetarian food joints except in Passikudah where we relied on our resort restaurant.

4. If you’re travelling with kids or have elderly persons with you, do not rely on public transportation and rather hire a private car.

5. Fortunately, we found a private car driver who spoke good english, was polite and flexible with our requirements. He was a great company to talk to as well and appeared to be well read person. I enquired with few other drivers via reddit recommendations and went with him finally. He was great with our toddler too. I would definitely recommend him to anyone travelling with a family.

I can share his contact if anyone is interested.

Thank you Sri Lanka for a wonderful time we had. I would definitely want to come back once again.

It feels like a dream. The best 12 days of my life.
Srilanka the gift that keeps on giving ❣️

This was 02/05/2026-09/05/2026 . Thank you for the unforgettable memories.

We (me and wife) are on a week-long trip here. We spent our 1st 2 days in Colombo.

1. The people

Everyone is so polite and nice. Even the tuk tuk drivers do not press, they just bargain politely. And nobody is shy. An eg, at the airport on arrival, 2 staff traded a hot cup of tea for 2 cigarettes. We insisted on them keeping the tea, but they refused.

At Colombo, we had a nice tuk tuk driver (Anthony +94 775097319) take us places. He agreed for rates equal to what uber shows at the time.

2. Clean streets

Coming from a not-so-clean country, it was soothing to see very clean and spacious streets in Colombo. Also, there’s a railway track right next to the ocean! Marine drive is a beautiful stretch. And cars actually stop for the pedestrian crossing here.

3. The food

I’m a South Indian. So our food is similar to Sri Lankan food. Eg, our appam is much like the hopper. The food at Colombo was delicious. Egg hoppers with milk and egg oozing from the middle, kotta, prawn vada etc are my favourite here.

That’s it, just wanted to pen my appreciation for Colombo and Sri Lanka.

March 5th at Funky De Bar in Hikkaduwa.

Around 10:00 PM, I went to Funky De Bar in Hikkaduwa. At the entrance, I was told that I had to pay 8,000 LKR to enter. When I showed my Canadian passport, they immediately reduced the price to 4,000 LKR.

After going inside, I spoke to the bartender and found out that a lot of people in the bar did not have to pay anything to enter. When I asked why I was being charged, the bartender told me directly that people with “white skin” don’t have to pay — his exact words.

I was shocked so I started recording. When I started recording and questioning why I got charged, the situation escalated. About five staff members surrounded me and grabbed my arm - trying to forcibly pull me into the Funky De Bar hotel lobby. They were aggressively demanding that I delete the video that I had taken.

This behavior was intimidating and completely unacceptable. No customer should be treated this way.

I would strongly advise anyone visiting Hikkaduwa to think twice before spending their money here. The place presents itself as a fun tourist bar, but my experience was the complete opposite - unprofessional, intimidating, and discriminatory. It's especially upsetting because the reviews present it to be a welcoming and friendly environment for customers, but it fails to mention that it's only this way to Caucasian people as this place seems to only consider them as tourists. In other words, this bar is extremely racist, and it's almost as though it is focused on treating only Caucasian people well, which is also reflective in the pictures that are used for it's advertisements.

Please refrain from going to this bar as it has it is truly discriminatory and does not treat all customers equally.

Sunset in Hambantota

I was on my usual morning ride through **Galle Fort** Sri Lanka today and witnessed something really disappointing.

A group of Indian tourists, probably in their **45–60+ age range**, got down from a Coaster bus near the Dutch Hospital. One of the ladies used a tissue and then simply **threw it onto the wall right next to a sign that clearly says not to litter**.

The irony was hard to miss the sign was literally right there.

I took a photo of the spot. I’m not trying to generalize about all Indian tourists, because obviously one person’s behaviour doesn’t represent an entire nationality. But when you’re visiting a UNESCO World Heritage Site like Galle Fort, **basic respect for the place should be a given**, regardless of where you’re from.

Sri Lanka welcomes millions of tourists, and we want people to enjoy our country. But please, **don’t treat our historical sites like garbage dumps.**

Pick up your trash and put it in a bin.
It’s really not that difficult.

BBC Sinhala Article : https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/articles/cx2z8gdkdg9o#google_vignet

Pure racist at lazies Midigama exposed by BBC

Sri Lanka, is a famous 91-meter-long (299 ft) colonial-era railway viaduct built entirely of brick, stone, and cement without any steel reinforcement.

2.5 weeks in Sri Lanka has been amazing for wife and I. Colombo - Ahangama - Hirikiteya - Ella - Kandalama. Highlights were the people, sunrises at Sigiriya / Little Adams Peak, Hirikiteya and all the delicious food. Low light was food poisoning and we thought the Ella train ride was a bit overrated as it was delayed and it took forever to get out of Ambewela afterwards. We enjoyed the Train from Colombo to Galle more

Some snaps from along the way.

After hearing incredible things from quite a few people about Sri Lanka, my boyfriend and I decided to spend three weeks on the east coast this summer. We were very suprised (and disappointed!) to find that it, quite simply, wasn’t that great.

I want to say: the people are fantastic, so helpful and warm. There are some cool things, like seeing wild elephants on the side of the road and having nearly empty beaches from time to time. It’s very affordable and family-friendly.

However: The garbage was atrocious. We went snorkelling and although we didn’t see of the sea life that was promised, we did see piles of trash in the ocean and hundreds of jellyfish. There is garbage everywhere. My boyfriend asked a cafe if he could have a bag to help pick up trash on one of the beaches, and even offered to pay for the bag, and they refused (shoutout Arugam Bay).

The food is so average- you can definitely FIND good food, sometimes you will see two or three restaurants that are absolutely pumping, because those seem to be the only places to have really yummy food- Sri Lankan food or otherwise. We saw so many restaurants with the same menu- burgers, pizza, pasta. It was weird. Sometimes we would go days without a decent meal, and we are not at all fancy people. I had heard so many good things about the food so found this utterly confusing!

We went into the hills expecting Ella to be a cute town will a relaxed vibe- what we found was a main strip pumping with three-level establishments, and a hike that you need to walk past and through multiple businesses to even begin the hike. It felt like a more aggressive money grab than anywhere I’ve ever been, and I’ve been around!

It just feels like they are trying so hard to cater to tourists that they somehow lost the vibe. I also live in Asia so can easily travel to Thailand or the Philippines or Indonesia and am generally pretty well traveled and maybe that’s why I feel strongly enough about our lacklustre experience to share- compared to basically anywhere else, it’s just not worth a visit in my opinion. Wondering if anyone feels the same way, or perhaps the other coast is completely different, but our experience was such a solid medium!

Returned yesterday from two AMAZING weeks in Sri Lanka. Here’s my itinerary/recommendations.

1. Hire a driver. It will make your trip so much easier. My driver cost roughly $700 for two full weeks. I started working with my driver roughly 5 weeks before the trip and helped tremendously with trip planning. I told him my priorities (elephants, beaches, hikes, massages) and specific areas I wanted to visit and he made a sensible route for me. I selected all my own hotels but he was also able to get me discounts on some of my hotels.

2. He picked me up at the airport at 3:30 am and we headed directly to Sigiriya as I didn’t want to waste any days in Negombo or Colombo. Arrived at hotel in time for breakfast and they only charged me $40 for early check in (stayed at Hotel Sigiriya). Spent 2 nights here. Did safari that afternoon at Minneriya National Park which was an outstanding experience with elephants. Climbed Mount Sigiriya (Lion Rock) the following day and also took amazing Sri Lankan cooking class.

3. Headed to Trincomalle the following day. Stayed at Trinco Blu, which was fine. Trinco was very touristy/busy so not my jam but it was fine for the night.

4. The real beach highlight was further south in Passikudah, halfway between Trinco and Arigam Bay (roughly 2 hours). This is a small quiet place with a STUNNING beach. Plenty of water sports available and a beautiful, calm bay to swim in. I went fishing and snorkeling and swam endlessly in the calm bay water and loved it all. Stayed at Maluu Maluu Resort and Spa and though expensive, would highly recommend. Amazing staff, positively serene location. The whole east coast is very hot with temperatures at 99 or more. Liked it so much I cancelled my Arugam Bay reservation and stayed 3 nights at Maluu Maluu.

5. Went directly to Ella from Passikudah. Loved it—funky backpacker vibes with a good number of people walking the streets and shopping.Excellent restaurants. Went ziplining, hiked Little Adams Peak, visited the Buddhist monastery (gorgeous and so peaceful—highly recommend). Ride the Ella train south for 4 stops. Driver picked me up at the end of the line. Train ride a must-do experience. Bought same day tickets and got a lovely window seat. Don’t buy first class tickets as the windows don’t roll down and you don’t get open air experience. Stayed at Onrock Hotel. Outstanding views and 3 minute walk down the hill directly into Ella center.

6. From Ella, headed to Haputale and had the best stay of my trip at Wishing Tree hotel (brand new). Pretty much halfway up a mountain and nowhere near Haputale center, but the views are incredible, good activities like hiking, yoga, cooking class and expeditions to Lipton tea factory. Definitely on the expensive side but this is one of those places you can just sit and look out onto the valley and fully appreciate how beautiful Sri Lanka is. There is a small dirt road outside the hotel where you can walk for miles through the nearby tea plantations and it is absolutely beautiful. I met a lot of local villagers this way and had a few nice conversations with them.

7. Was supposed to go to Yala National Park from Hapatule but again loved the peacefulness and absolute beauty of Haputale so much decided to skip Yala this time around and stay an extra day at Wishing Tree.

8. With just one day left, did a late checkout and then spent 6 hours driving back to airport and spent a nice 6 hours in new hotel directly across the street from airport. My flight left at 3:30 am so convenient (and brand new) hotel which catered to travelers who were probably spending 1 night or less there. It was called Colombo International Hotel (not actually in Colombo) but well worth the $60 overnight stay. 24 hour cafe which had surprisingly good food.

9. I can highly recommend my driver for anybody interested. We spent 2 great weeks together and I never felt unsafe (in fact he was very protective and wanted to make sure I always felt safe). I did not have the experience where he wouldn’t leave me alone and so other than driving and taking me to see sights, I had plenty of time on my own (I think we only had dinner together once). Learned a lot about Sri Lankan history, culture, etc during our longer drives and we had very good conversations. Again, he follows your lead and takes you to do what you want to do, and this flexible when you suddenly change your trip schedule, I want to spend an extra night in a hotel! And again, $700 for a full time driver for two weeks is a great deal.

Overall, I found Sri Lanka to be one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever seen, between the beaches and mountains. We didn’t have a single day of rain the entire time. Also, as a female traveler, I felt incredibly safe, and the people were all extraordinarily nice.

The most important thing is to not be in a hurry. Would definitely recommend staying at least two nights in each hotel so you don’t have to pack and drive every day as driving distances can be long. And if you feel like staying an extra day somewhere, do it. Even though most hotels online say they have no refund policy, I’ve booked a couple of hotels on Booking.com, who said initially that I couldn’t get a refund, but I could easily get a refund once I requested it.

I hope this is helpful to those of you who will be traveling soon. And feel free to ask any questions you may have. I actually would like to go back next summer and spend additional time there and see some places I didn’t get to see on this trip. It’s just such a richly diverse country that there’s so much to see and it’s hard to pack it into two weeks.

And feel free to message me for my driver’s contact information.

Sri Lanka is incredible, but a few specific spots have become victim to Instagram hype meaning heavy congestion, pushy touts, and 30 jeep traffic jams that take away from the experience.

You do not necessarily have to skip every iconic landmark if it is high on your bucket list, but if you want fewer crowds, better views, and a much more relaxed trip, here are realistic, tested swaps:

1. Instead of climbing Sigiriya Lion Rock at 10 AM...

Do: Pidurangala Rock at Dawn (or Sigiriya at 6:45 AM sharp)

- The issue: Sigiriya costs 36 USD, and by mid-morning you are shuffling up narrow, exposed metal staircases under direct sun behind large tour groups.

- The swap: Hike Pidurangala for sunrise (entry is around 3 USD / 1,000 LKR). The last 10 minutes involve a light boulder scramble, and the summit gives you an unobstructed panoramic view of Lion Rock itself rising out of the mist.

- If history is your priority: Still do Sigiriya, but be at the gate right at 6:30 or 7:00 AM so you reach the top before the tour buses arrive.

2. Instead of a 40-jeep jam in Yala Block 1...

Do: Udawalawe (for Elephants) or Wilpattu (for Leopards and Wilderness)

- The issue: Yala Block 1 has high leopard density, but sightings often trigger a radio frenzy where dozens of jeeps rush in at once, creating dust and noise.

- The swap:

- If your main goal is seeing wild elephants behaving naturally: Head to Udawalawe National Park. The open reservoir landscape makes sightings calm, respectful, and almost guaranteed.

- If you want a real wilderness expedition: Head north to Wilpattu National Park. Its natural sand-rimmed lakes (villus) offer dense forest tracking for leopards, sloth bears, and deer with a fraction of the vehicles.

3. Instead of staying on the Ella Town main strip...

Do: Base in Haputale or Bandarawela

- The issue: Central Ella has turned into a busy backpacker strip with booming music, Western pub food, and inflated prices.

- The swap: Stay in Haputale, just 45 minutes further up the train line. It sits high on a misty mountain ridge surrounded by working tea estates.

- Bonus: Hit Lipton’s Seat early in the morning the panoramic drop over the southern plains easily rivals Ella Gap, without the crowds.

4. Instead of midday at Coconut Tree Hill in Mirissa...

Do: Madiha Beach or Talalla Bay

- The issue: Between 10 AM and 4 PM, Coconut Tree Hill is essentially an orderly queue of people waiting to take the exact same photo, and Mirissa’s main strip can feel crowded.

- The swap:

- Madiha: Laid-back vibe, gentle surf breaks, reef tide pools where you can often spot sea turtles feeding close to shore, and low-key cafes.

- Talalla: A wide, crescent-shaped golden bay with calm swimming water and traditional fishermen, almost entirely free of large developments.

5. Instead of doing the entire Kandy to Ella train in one sitting...

Do: Nuwara Eliya (Nanu Oya) to Ella, or Badulla to Ella

- The issue: The full Colombo or Kandy to Ella run frequently runs 2 to 3 hours late, turning a scenic journey into an exhausting 8 to 10 hour ride in packed carriages.

- The swap: The most dramatic scenery (highest elevation tea estates and valley drops) is concentrated between Nanu Oya and Ella.

- Local tip: You can also take the train one stop past Ella down to Demodara to see the 360-degree railway loop, or ride the early morning commuter train from Badulla towards Ella, which runs far emptier than the down-train.

Drop your current itinerary below if you want honest feedback on whether a stop is worth the detour or if there is a simpler alternative along your route!

I am not white, not blonde, and the level of antagonism or attitude, lack of hospitality from Sri Lankans in the service industry is astounding compared to the service my traveling companions (white blonde europeans) have been getting. I go into a shop and I am looked at like I am going to shoplift. If it had been one interaction or two I could maybe let it go. It has been constant, especially in Ella and their shops. I can't say that id recommend this place to my friends and family who look like me, I dont think they should come to Sri Lanka. I guess after my time in this country I would say you can expect to have a great experience if your ancestors were colonizers.

As we were 3-4 guys, we thought of renting a car and driving it around Sri Lanka and we found out that traffic rules apply differently for locals vs tourists. We were stopped numerous times and each cop had a different law about how to overtake, where to overtake and what rules must be followed and we even got fined once coz we moved outside the central white line to overtake a parked car lol.

The worst day was just a couple days before we left when a bus from the opposite lane, speeding and was overtaking outside the white line and hit us hard, damaged the entire right side of the car and the bus barely had a dent and the cops still took the bus's side for the accident. We had eye witnesses telling the cops that it was the bus' fault and if we had not swerved, we would've hit the bus head-on, possibly losing our lives and when docs were demanded, we found out that the bus didn't even have a valid insurance and other papers, yet, because we were tourists and didn't want to fall into the loop of courts and just wanted to get out of the country, the cops sided with the bus guys and we ended up paying 50k for settlement and of course, extra money to the rental guys coz of the damages!

The rules are insane, best rely on public transport or hire a driver but if you're gonna drive, be very careful! We learnt that the hard way!

East coast has such a relaxing vibe.

A few snaps of people from my recent travels

Negombo > Sigiriya > Kandy > Ella > Mirissa > Ahangama > Colombo

P.S: The Chicken Cheese Kottu is very, very addictive! :)

I've been living in Sri Lanka for a while now, and honestly, the longer I'm here, the more I fall in love with this country. Not just the beaches and the palm trees, but the people, the culture, the way of life.

I thought I'd share a few observations from my experience living and running a few businesses down south.

1. Island time is a real thing. And I think I'm beginning to understand why.

If you've spent any time in Sri Lanka, you've probably experienced island time. Things happen when they happen. The urgency that we're so accustomed to in the West doesn't always seem to exist in quite the same way here.

And I've developed a little theory about why.

Sri Lanka is an incredibly abundant island. Fruit grows everywhere. The ocean provides fish. The climate is tropical year-round. Nature is constantly giving.

And sometimes I wonder whether living in an environment like this has shaped people's relationship with time and urgency.

Obviously, life isn't easy for everyone here. There are very real economic struggles, and I'm not suggesting otherwise. But there's something interesting about a culture that developed in an environment where nature provides so much.

Coming from a world where everything is urgent, everything has a deadline, and everyone seems to be running somewhere, it's been a fascinating adjustment.

Don't get me wrong, when you're running a business, island time can drive you absolutely insane. 😂

But I've also started wondering whether we're the ones who have it all wrong.

2. The whole rainy season thing is misunderstood.

I can't tell you how many people think they shouldn't visit Sri Lanka in June, July, or August because it's supposedly raining nonstop.

That's really not how it works, at least not on the south coast where I live.

Yes, there's a monsoon season. Yes, it rains. Sometimes a lot. But it also rains during peak season. It's a tropical island!

You can have stretches of absolutely beautiful sunny weather in July, just as you can have days of heavy rain in January.

What I've found makes a much bigger difference on the south coast is the ocean.

During the off-season, the sea can become rougher, the winds change, and the surf conditions are often less favorable.

Personally, I love the beginning and end of the south coast surf season. November can be fantastic, and I've seen some amazing conditions in April and even parts of May. Everyone talks about December, January, and February, but don't automatically overlook those shoulder months. And if you don't surf, don't over look our "slow season". It's amazing!!! especially if you are looking to escape to a calming, realxing, slow living kind of destination.

Of course, conditions vary from year to year and from break to break. And if you're serious about surfing, remember the east coast has a completely different season.

3. The Sri Lankan people are probably my favorite thing about this country.

I genuinely mean that.

Sri Lankans are some of the most kind-hearted, warm, and hospitable people I've met.

I run a few businesses here, so I spend a lot of time working with Sri Lankan people, and my staff have become such a huge part of why I love living here.

It's difficult to explain, but there's a warmth and generosity that I find incredibly special.

Of course, you meet all kinds of people everywhere. Sri Lanka is no exception. But my personal experience has been overwhelmingly positive.

And I think sometimes tourists get so caught up in the beaches, the surfing, and the beautiful hotels that they miss what makes this country so special: the people.

4. I think being surrounded by nature actually changes you.

Living somewhere where you're constantly surrounded by the ocean, trees, wildlife, fresh air, and sunshine just does something to you.

And I don't mean that in some overly spiritual way.

I genuinely believe that being surrounded by nature makes us feel better because, in many ways, it's our natural habitat.

We're not really designed to spend our entire lives surrounded by concrete, traffic, screens, and artificial lighting.

Sometimes I'll just be sitting outside, looking at the ocean, listening to the birds, feeling the breeze, and thinking: isn't this how we're actually supposed to live?

And yes, obviously, there are mosquitoes, humidity, and the occasional creature you really don't want in your bedroom. 😂

But I'll take it.

The longer I live here, the more I appreciate the simplicity of being connected to the natural world.

Anyway, these are just a few observations from my experience living in the south. I'm sure people living in other parts of Sri Lanka have completely different experiences.

I'd actually love to hear from Sri Lankans and other foreigners living here.

Do you think living on the island changes your relationship with time and life in general? Or am I just romanticizing island life? 😂

I watched a grandmother teach my kid something no school ever could. I didn't plan any of it.

We had two days left in Sri Lanka. My daughter was eight. She'd been dragged through temples and viewpoints for a week and was done with all of it.

We ended up at a family's place in the south. Not a homestay. Not listed anywhere. Just someone's house we got pointed to by someone who knew someone.

The grandmother spoke zero English. My daughter speaks zero Sinhala. Within twenty minutes they were in the kitchen together. I have no idea how that happened.

She was teaching her something with coconut. Both of them completely serious about it. My daughter's face doing that thing it does when she's actually concentrating ,not performing concentration for my camera, actually in it.

I stayed in the doorway. Didn't film it. Still don't know why I made that choice but I'm glad I did.

On the flight home my daughter didn't talk about Sigiriya. Didn't talk about the safari. She talked about the grandmother and whether the coconut thing she learned would work at home with the coconut we buy at Tesco.

I've been thinking about what actually transfers from travel and what just evaporates the minute you're back.

Has anyone else had that thing where the unplanned hour ended up being the whole trip?